Boy Scouts Offer Video Game Merit Badge

The Boy Scouts organization is no stranger to adding new merit badges to reward accomplishments, but they've given the practice a decidedly technological twist by introducing a badge for proficiency in video games. Be prepared for anything.

It's not your father's Boy Scouts anymore: The Boys Scouts of
America announced the introduction of an ability badge for Tiger Cubs,
Cub Scouts and Webelos Scouts that boys can earn for displaying a
proficiency with playing videogames. In order to earn a belt loop
badge, scouts must complete three requirements: Explain why it is
important to have a rating system for video games, create a schedule
for scouts to do things that includes their chores, homework and video
gaming and then learn to play a new video game that is approved by the
scout's parent, guardian or teacher.
Scouts can also earn
an academic pin by purchasing an age-appropriate video game, listing
good reasons to buy a game, compete in a family game tournament, teach
another person how to play the game, list five helpful tips a beginner
learning the game could use, play a game that helps with math or
reading skills, install a gaming system with an adult and lastly
compare prices for a video game purchase, taking into account factors
such as the store's return policy and manufacturer's warranty.

Despite the organization's clear dedication to encouraging "age appropriate" titles, there are some skeptics of the plan.

"It could be quite visionary and exciting or it could be a complete
sellout," Dr. Vic Strasburger, professor of Pediatrics at the
University of New Mexico School of Medicine, told
Fox News. "I don't see anything wrong with that as long as they're not
playing first-person shooter games, violent games, games with a lot of
sexual or drug content. The question is, who's going to supervise the
scouts?"

The news comes as the debate over violent video games, and whether it
should be legal to sell them to minors, is heading for the highest
court in the land. Earlier this week, the Supreme Court announced
it would hear a case to decide whether the state of California has the
right to refuse the sale of violent video games to minors. The law in
question was passed in 2005 and imposes a $1,000 fine on retailers
found selling violent video games to people less than 18 years of age.

"Let's be serious: the kids are already into video games," Renee
Fairrer, a spokeswoman for the Boy Scouts of America, told Fox. "You
can't sit on the couch for 13 hours a day and play video games. We want
to get them when they're that Cub Scout age, when they have that strong
parental influence, to be able to make those decisions" and see it as
only a small part of their daily life."

Nathan Eddy is Associate Editor, Midmarket, at eWEEK.com. Before joining eWEEK.com, Nate was a writer with ChannelWeb and he served as an editor at FierceMarkets. He is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.